The Friendship
by Infinity Fish
Summary: Stampy and squid get wrapped up in a fight, and right as stuff settles down the infamous Target steps into the picture. All Squid's ever been taught is that Target is a no-good criminal... but is that really true? (Romance if you squint; no, I'm not going to ship Squid and Target, so chill pls) derpy little multi-chapter trash. Rated T for light swears.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: That Stupid Cat

I sighed. "Stamps is such a killjoy sometimes. I mean, all the guy ever DOES is record videos! How weird, right? Seriously, no one's gonna get mad at 'im if he takes a day off!" I ranted, walking expressively down the road, my tentacle-arms flying everywhere irritatedly as I raged at innocent passerby.  
"I mean, what the hell is his deal anyway?! It's not like I asked him to jump off the clock tower!"  
I veered down the road to where it linked with the bridge to the ocean.  
"I just wanted to play a friggin' round of Hunger Games with the guy! Is that so much to ask?!"  
I recalled Stampy's response with a bitter anger.  
'Oh, you mean to record? Well, I do need a new video for next Wednesday...i'm sure a Hunger Games will do-' I cut him off.  
'No, mate, just to play! We haven't done anything like that in absolute ages and-'  
'Squid, if it's not to record, then why bother? I have too much to do here to play stupid games.'  
'Stupid games? What on Earth has gotten into ya', Stamps? We haven't done anything BUT record videos in a long while and I thought we could just-'  
'Squid, for the last time, I haven't the time for a 'tea-party' with you, alright? If you're bored, go away and find someone else to pester. Can't you see i'm already busy here? Honestly, I feel like i'm more your keeper than your friend sometimes.'  
'MY KEEPER?! Stampy, what the hell is-'  
'Don't you have a game to play, Squid?' He sneered at me. At that point I had no interest in playin' with the guy at all, and promptly stormed out of his house. The guy had killed my mood, and now I just wanted to get back on my sky island series- see my dogs and all that.

I got to the water and put a boat down.  
"Huh. Well, why don't we see how Stampy feels after I go home for a few weeks. Maybe THAT'LL spark his precious interest," I spat at air. "Since he's my 'Keeper' now, maybe a few weeks vacation from me is just what the doctor called for." My voice was turning more angry than sneering, and before I knew it I was fuming. I just had to get home. I was about to get in the boat, but I heard footsteps behind me.  
"WELL, look who came crawling back to APOLOGIZE," I boiled without turning around. He didn't answer.  
"What's up, Stamps? Are ya' out of wisecracks? Or did you just come to give me a spare pack of DIAPERS for the journey? You're my KEEPER now, right?" I was red in the face and about ready to punch his orange one in. I whipped around, another insult burning a hole in my teeth. But it quickly died.  
It wasn't Stampy.  
The man who stood just five feet in front of me had jet-black hair, gelled back lightly and combed, so it looked as if he were going to a fancy ball. He had light olive skin, and his hands were enclosed in a pair of black gloves, each with a gold clip around the wrist. He had a sharp jaw, but a pair of deep amber eyes that were surprisingly... friendly. He stood in a maroon vest with orate gold embroidery, black dress pants, shoes that looked as if they've just been shined, and around his broad shoulders draped a long, stark red cape with decadent gold lettering that spelled out H. T. T.  
Target.  
Target had never personally wronged me, just Stampy. Still, the sight of him put me on high guard. I got my sword at hand.  
"I know how you feel," He said, in a voice easily as smooth as his appearance. He strode a few steps closer, obviously unfazed by my weapon. I stood my ground.  
"You two must have really fought, with you spitting fire like that. I always thought of you as..." He paused, carefully choosing his words. "even-tempered."  
I was determined to not be intimidated, even though every step closer he took I lost some nerve.  
"What's it to you?" I asked, trying to sound as confident as I could muster. It wasn't working. He smiled poilitely, which took me aback. I had seen this man as nothing but a brute all my life.  
"Nothing, really. I just thought you seemed a little out of character, that's all." His voice was kind, and he moved closer a couple more steps.  
"That's funny," I said uneasily, "so do you." He looked downright dumb for a split-second, clearly confused, when a sudden realization cleared his vision.  
"You see me as a villian, don't you?" He asked, moving ever closer. There was about two feet between us now. I gulped.  
"Yeah, I do." I regrouped some confidence and held up my weapon. He pulled a sideways grin, walked towards my sword, pinched the tip of it with two fingers,  
and lightly plucked it out of my grasp.  
'WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?' I internally screamed. 'YOU HAVE TARGET RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU LET HIM TAKE YOUR ONLY WEAPON?!'  
He dropped the sword on the ground and tapped it away with his right foot.  
"Boo."  
I let out a stupid girly scream, jumped up three feet in the air, and flipped halfway around- landing flat on my back. Then Target was right above me.  
'This is it. I'm gonna die.' I thought. Target extended his hand out to me. I figured he had some tiny gun-ring that shot poison darts, or a microscopic tazer, or a hidden blade thingy from Assassins' Creed, but nothing came. I opened my eyes. His hand was still there, hovering a little bit away from my chest.  
"I'm not going to hurt you, Squid." He said calmly, but there was a trace of hurt there as well.  
"...You're not?"  
"No, i'm really not."  
"Oh."  
I took his hand and he helped me up.  
"Thanks."  
"No problem." He put his hand on my shoulder, a gesture that not even Stampy does.  
"I'm fine with you leaving and all, but you know...if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me." He said hesitently, as if he was fearing rejection.  
"Yeah, thanks!" I nodded. I smiled for the first time since this morning. He smiled back, letting his fingers linger for a second before placing his hand behind his back.  
"Ok. Yeah, er...cool. See you around Squid."  
"See ya, ...Target."  
I bent down to pick up my sword, and the second I looked up, he was nowhere to be seen. I turned back to my boat and kicked it so hard that it shot off and shattered on some ice in the water. I turned back toward the bridge. It was night now. I had been gone a whole day. But i'm sure that Stampy wouldn't care.  
That Stupid Cat. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: In the Evening

I had decided against going home and was walking up the pathway to Stampy's front door. I was originally going to stay in the Hotel, but Stamps had jacked up the nightly price due to the high electricity bill it caused. It was almost 3:00 a.m., and I was right tired- as you can imagine. I was just dragging myself in through the door when a familiar orange cat popped up in front of me.  
"IBALLISTICSQUID WHERE IN THE ABSOLUTE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN ALL DAY?! IV'E CALLED EVERY ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS ASKING WHERE YOU WERE, AND NONE OF THEM KNEW!  
I LOST SEVEN HOURS OF PROGRESS TODAY LOOKING FOR YOU! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSEL-"  
"Night, Stampy," I said drowsily as I sauntered slowly off to the guest room.  
He yanked me back by the shoulder to face him. He looked awful. The guy had drank at least six cups of an exspresso to keep himself awake, and his eyes were blood-shot. He had worry lines above his brow, and his fluffy hair was smashed and flattened in places, while the rest of it was as wild as ever.  
"Squid, where WERE you?" His voice was dark and serious. I remember how just a day ago this would have scared me out of my wits, as Stampy never got angry.  
But after meeting Target, I was fearless.  
"I was out." I said plainly.  
"WHERE were you out?"  
"By the ocean."  
"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU DOING THERE?!"  
"I was talking to someone."  
"You spent an entire day talking to someone. Why do I find that hard to believe?"  
"Hey, are you calling me a liar?"  
"No, I'm just trying to figure out what the hell you've been doing all day!"  
"Well, I was originally gonna go home to my Sky-island."  
"And why didn't you?"  
"Would you rather I left?"  
"Ye- No-...I don't know, Squid," Stampy sighed. "Youv'e just been on my nerves all day-" I spun around and walked out the door.  
I'm so sick of his bullcrap. I'VE been on HIS nerves?! After what HE said earlier?! What an ass!  
"SQUID! What the hell are you-" I spun around.  
"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED YOU TO TAKE CARE OF ME! I'M MY OWN PERSON!" I spat at him.  
His eyes widened. His mouth was slightly ajar in a constant gape, staring straight at me with a dumbfounded exspression. No one had ever done that before. He opened his mouth again as if he wanted to speak, but the words seemed to die before they got out. I walked away, leaving Stampy behind.

I was exhausted. I let my feet carry me, letting them find their own way to a warm, cozy bed. I don't know how long I walked for, but I eventually stopped at a netherbrick fortress. I knocked on the door, my heart heavy. In about a minute, someone answered.  
It was Target. I had walked to Target's house.  
"Hey Squid." He smiled, and again put his hand on my shoulder. It felt warm.  
"It's a little late to be out and about, don't you think?"  
I was dead on my own feet. My knees were weak, and not just from walking. I had just yelled my best friend...or who I thought was my best friend...  
I leaned forward and pulled Target into a long embrace. I don't know why. I guess I just...needed to. I expected him to push me away, or laugh at me for being such a pansy, or something.  
But he didn't.  
He hugged me back.  
It was a long while before we pulled away.  
He took a long look at me and said, "Come inside."  
I obediantly followed.  
He showed me down a long hallway which led down into the earth. He turned and opened a door to his right, letting me go in first. He flicked on the light and I could see it was a small but cozy guestroom, complete with it's own bathroom.  
He nudged me toward the bed, which I gratefully got into after kicking off my shoes.  
He shut off the light.  
"Goodnight, Squid..." He wispered softly.  
Then he shut the door.  
And I fell asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Calm after the Storm

I woke up to see a glare of sunshine pool around me. How weird. I never usually saw any windows in the guest room of Stampy's house. And the walls were different too. The walls in that guestroom were a dark oaky color, with no change or smoothness in them. But these were different. They were a light brown, but the color was so vivid it looked like the wall itself was moving, almost rippling. The paint was bordered on the ceilings and base boards by a coat of smooth, dark brown. In fact, the entire room reminded me of chocolate. There was no way this was Stampy's shabby little guestroom. Though it wasn't very big, and had a low roof, the welcoming ripple of the paint made it look as if the room itself was trying to hug me. I got out of bed and cleaned myself up in the little guest bathroom. I swapped out my clothes from the night before for a plain red t-shirt and blue jeans.

Just as I finished getting dressed, I heard a soft knock at the door of the guestroom.

"Come in."

A tall woman in a long, dirtied maroon apron stood in the doorframe. I recognized her as Veeva Dash, on account of Stampy's stories.

"Erm...Hello," she started awkwardly, "Master Target has requested you join him for breakfast."

Master Target? Wait... my memories of the exhausting walk, me yelling at Stampy, the bitter anger I felt at said person, and Target's gentle comfort came back to me in a single sweep. It took me a second to register them, but not wanting to stray on them for too long, I strode past Ms. Veeva and filed up the glossed wooden stairs.

I entered the kitchen, a pastel blue room with varying white stripes going down it, some thick and wide, others so thin at parts they faded off altogether. There was a polished tile floor made of alternating black and white squares- kinda like a very complicated chessboard. The countertop was an ornate wood base, delicately painted light grey. The counter itself was a white granite, a plain feature that made the room look very classy. The round table in the center of the room was a dark brown, cloaked in a yellow and white striped tablecloth. At the side facing me sat Target; a hearty breakfast lay untouched in front of him, most of the food still steaming.

"Good morning, Squid!" He spoke as if we were old mates, not as if I met him only yesterday. After last night though, I was fully accepting his warm tone.

"Mornin', Target!" I replied, sitting down.

"Sleep well?" He smirked playfully as he remembered my exhaustion. "You look as if you got no sleep at all."

"Ah, I got a few winks," I said, grinning. He chuckled.

I looked at my plate. A stack of blueberry pancakes, about half a pound of bacon, two eggs and a cup of coffee. I had the sudden feeling I was being cast in a Kellogg's commercial.

"This breakfast is awesome! Who made it?" I asked with my mouth full of blueberry pancake and bacon.

"Veeva made most of it, but I made the coffee," He replied with his mouth full as well.

I noticed that he wasn't in his vest and cape today, but in normal jeans and a t-shirt. His hair wasn't gelled back and combed either, but it was lightly tussled, as if he had shuffled it around with his hands a bit. In fact, Target looked so normal that I wouldn't have recognized him if I never met him yesterday.

"So," Target began, fiddling with his napkin. "Would you mind telling me exactly what happened yesterday?"

After our breakfasts, I finished the final details of mine and Stampy's fight.

"And then, well...I guess I just walked here," I finished. Target looked at me sympathetically.

"I see. Well, no wonder you thought I was Stampy. And no wonder why you were so pissed, as well," He stood up, clearing away the plates and putting them into the dishwasher. I quietly let my thoughts wander until he was finished. I felt a soft hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Target looking down at me, his eyes warm, and... if I'm honest...a little sparkly...

"Why do you do that?" I blurted out, standing up. I suddenly realized how rude it sounded.

"I mean, it's not like I think it's weird or anything," I started awkwardly. "It's very nice...I just was curious about it..." I faded off, feeling my face turn irritatingly red. If I'm honest, Target's hand on my shoulder makes me a little nervous. Not like a bad nervous...but like a weird/good/butterflies nervous. And no, I'm not saying that I've taken a fancy to him or anything, I'm just saying the guy makes me a little bit nervous. _THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT._

Target looked a little taken aback.

"Hmm. Well, I don't really know why per say..." He trailed off, yanking the conversation into an awkward silence. Or, it seemed, only awkward for me because Target was lost in thought- with his hand still resting comfortably on my shoulder. He looked at it, gave it a tentative shift, then looked at me. But he wasn't really looking at me- he was studying me. Like if this whole conversation was a difficult math problem and something about me was the key to solving it. Then his eyes cleared. He leaned back on his heels, _still_ keeping his hand on my shoulder. Then, he smirked.

"You're an interesting character, Squid. Quite an interesting character."

He gave my shoulder one final squeeze before he let go.

"Let's get you ready to go, shall we? Wouldn't wanna keep your friend worrying."

 **Stampy's POV-**

I woke up this morning with a guilt knot making a little home in my stomach. You know that feeling when you feel like you hurt your best friend, but you never meant to?

Well, that's what it was.

All last night I couldn't stop thinking about what Squid had said.

 _'What did I do to make him so mad?'_

 _'Who was that person he was talking to?'_

 _'Does he like them more than me now?'_

I ended up figuring out the first question, but the other two are still shrouded in mystery. The scene from that morning started to play out in my mind.

I put my hands up to my head and tried to block out the sound of my own sneering voice; it was rushing back to bite me through my memories.

 ** _"I have too much to do here to play stupid games."_**

 **** ** _"I feel like I'm more your keeper than your friend sometimes."_**

 **** ** _"Don't you have a game to play, Squid?"_**

I pressed my hands harder onto my temples, trying to make my brain shut up. All it was doing was giving me one hell of a headache.

"Ughh…Nononononono…."

A pounding on my front door interrupted my horrible thoughts. I stood up and walked downstairs, dragging my feet the whole way. When I finally got there, I gingerly opened the door, anxious about who I would find. It would probably be the mailman, or Squaishy, or-

"Hey mate."

Squid.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A few days Later

 ** _A/N: Warning, there's some Squampy fluff in this chapter. Bye!_**

Squid's POV-

Stamps and I ended up just... talking a few things out. I know, pretty anticlimactic, right? Anyhoo, he said he felt horrible, and he apologized about 50 times, each time promising that he would be a better friend. I apologized for yelling at him, and we pretty much just hung out together for the rest of the day.

Now, we were strolling down the coast, Stampy babbling excitedly over an idea for a new minigame. Personally, I'm just happy I got my friend back.

"So, Nugget," He said, wrapping up his speech. "What do you think?" He shuffled the long sleeves of his grey sweater nervously.

I put my hand on my chin and furrowed my eyebrows, giving him a doubtful look.

"Hmm. It's...uh...well..." His green eyes widened in a shocked expression.

"You don't like it?! Don't tell me you don't like it," He pleaded, tugging on my shirt sleeve.

I couldn't keep up my act any longer. I pulled a big grin and turned to face Stamps.

"I'm just messin' with ya! Of course I love it." I said as Stampy punched me in the shoulder. "Ow."

Stampy crossed his arms, his baggy sweater flopping as he huffed. He looked flustered, his face turning a little pink. His glasses started to droop.

"You better." He said in mock anger. I bent down a little and pushed his slipping glasses back up with my thumb.

I laughed as he faked glaring at me from behind his lenses. Then he smiled.

"Uh, hey Squid," He said, pointing, "You see that rocky outcropping over there?"

"Yeah, why?" He smirked.

"RACE YA THERE!" He yelled, kicking up sand as he sprinted across the beach.

"WHAT?! YOU CHEATER!" I shouted, barreling after him.

As we raced, I gradually started to catch up with Stamps. I charged after him, grabbing the back of his sweater and yanking him backwards. I let out a little victory whoop, but his foot swung around and grabbed my shin, tripping me. I fell onto the soft sand just as Stampy got up. He was trying to run past me, but stumbled, and I took this chance to grab his arm and yank him toward me. As I did so, I flipped onto my back, letting him crash onto my chest. The second he landed, I flipped back over and pinned him to the ground, the soft sand instantly mixing with his curly hair. For a few seconds, all we did was breathe. My hands were easily pinning down his slim wrists, and there was about three inches of space from our noses. It took Stamps only a few seconds to get what had just happened.

"Squid! Come on, let me go!" He struggled, laughing.

"Nope."

"Oh, come on, no-body likes a sore loser!"

"Hey, last time I checked, you didn't cross the finish line." I said, unintentionally moving a little closer to him.

"...Squid, personal space please..." Stampy mumbled awkwardly. A new idea popped into my head. I smirked. I moved so that the tips of our noses were touching.

Stampy turned red. I laughed inwardly. Oh, this was gonna be the best thing yet!

"What's wrong, Stamps?" I asked innocently. I slipped my hands from his wrists into the palms of his hands and wrapped our fingers. He was now a dark shade of red. He gulped. This'll be the funniest prank!

"Does any of this make you feel uncomfortabl-" I was cut off by his lips rushing up to meet mine.

I closed my eyes, taking it all in. I could feel this _'ZAP'_...Like someone hit me with a big, electrical pole. My heart was pounding, and my face was now a bright red.

He pushed harder, earning a small whimper from me.

 _'I had meant this as a joke! I didn't...I didn't mean for him to... god, I pressured him, didn't I? Of course I did! Why do I screw up everything!?'_

I pushed back a little, squeezing his hands tighter.

 _'... I'm...I'm straight, right? Yeah, I have to be! I-I can't be gay! Why the hell am I enjoying this?! Why do I want this?!'_

He pulled away. We locked eyes for a second, until I broke away.

"I-I'm...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have pressured you..." I stammered. I couldn't look at him.

"Hey...it's ok...don't apologize, I'm the one that kissed you..."

I let go of him and rolled onto the sand next to him. I put my hands on my chest.

"Hey...Stamps? Can we...uh...nev-"

"Never talk about this again?" He finished, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah."

"Sounds like a plan."

I sighed. The sun was setting now. Stampy moved closer to me and wrapped his hands around my neck, resting his fluffy head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around his back, pulling him close.

"Squid?"

"Yeah?"

He paused.

"You know you're my best friend, right?"

I leaned down and kissed his forehead, stroking his hair as we listened to the sound of waves crashing on the shore.

"Yeah. I know."

"Am I yours?"

I adjusted myself and hugged him tightly.

"Why wouldn't you be?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Meanwhile...

3RD Person's POV-  
A man in a dark suit watched the two 'friends' walk along the beach. He was assessing only one of them; a kind man he had met about a week or so ago. The other was a short, scrawny man attired in a plain, grey sweatshirt. It was he that the dark-suited man despised. Why? Because in his eyes, that man- no, that COWARD- had taken everything from him. His career, his reputation, his property, his...everything...except one.  
The dark-suited man looked back up to the duo on the shoreline. The kind man was pinning down the enemy. They seemed to say something to each other, the kind man mid-phrase as the enemy kissed him. He pulled back, and two talked. The kind man lay down next to him, and soon the two became entwined, holding each other closely amidst the sand.

He hated it.  
Him. HIM. He was the only thing that COWARD hadn't taken from him. WAS. Now he had, and there was nothing the man could do about it.

The man in the dark suit knew he shouldn't think like that. He knew that he should let them be. He knew that he could accept it and move on, knowing that he would still have the kind man's friendship.  
But he couldn't.  
He WOULDN'T.  
He was the only one that could see him for who he really was.  
An honest man.  
After that event...no-one could ever look at him the same. Not his parents, not his friends, not his true love. The only one who still trusted him was Veeva, his diligent lab-assistant, but their relationship was purely professional. He thought he would have deserved this treatment, if any of it was true.  
But it wasn't.  
NONE OF IT EVER WAS.  
It was all lies- propaganda that was spread around by that **coward.**  
 _BUT IT RUINED HIM._  
The man in the dark suit let hot tears cascade down his face. No-one would see them anyways.  
After a while, the two on the beach stood up and walked down the coast to where an array of gleaming lights- the coward's city- glowed warmly, and sent multi-colored reflections across the gentle, lapping waves.  
The man in the dark suit wiped his eyes.  
When this was over, he vowed to have three things;  
 _He would have his enemy's head on a platter._  
 _He would have his Reputation and Honor restored._  
The man looked back at the duo, and saw the coward wrap his hand around the kind man's, just for an instant before letting go.  
And finally, at the end of this...  
 _He would have Squid._

 **A/N: Hello! Yes, I am aware that this chapter is short, and I'm sorry I suck at updating! I have a few excuses, but none of them are very good. Anyhoo, hope you liked it!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Friendship advice

 _ **A/N: OOOOHHHH MYYYYY RELIGOUS FIGURE I HAVENT UPDATED THIS PILE OF SIN IN SOOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG but seriously I'm sorry I suck at writing I have like 30 excuses if you want those**_

 _ **Warning: There be some Target x Squid in this. Not really. Poor Villain's gon die alone.**_

Squid's POV:

It's been three days since we kissed.

We've been trying to act normal, pretend nothing's on our minds for videos and such, but after each video it just becomes awkward. Yes, YES, I know it's my fault, and I know that the laws of the Universe state that I should fix the problem. But in all seriousness, HOW would I even bring it up?

 _'Oh, hey Stamps, sorry that I pinned you down and pressured you into kissing me and all that. We good?'_

 _-sigh-_

Jeez, I haven't felt this awkward around a guy since Ash and I were first shipped. But that's a story for another day.

I looked across the water as I realized where I was. I was on the east coast of Stampy's Lovely world, not yet past the lighthouse. I saw red lights in the distance and remembered the time I spent with Target.

WAIT. TARGET!

Target will know what to do, I'm sure he will! After all, he is really the only 'Permanent' resident here besides Stamps who knows me. I jogged around until I reached a point in the bay where the ice spanning across the water touched both sides, and then proceeded to shuffle and slip my way clumsily across.

Target's POV:

There was a pounding at my door. Which is strange, regarding that Ms. Veeva and I receive little to no visitors at all. I stood up and walked briskly to go answer it. I pulled the heavy iron doors open quickly, and was shocked at who I looked upon.

"TARGET!" Squid yelled, wrapping his arms around me, giving me a tight yet painstakingly short embrace. I tried in vain to relax my pounding heart.

"S-Squid! W-what a pleasant surprise!" I stuttered, still blushing from his sudden affection earlier.

"How are ya, Target? May I come in?" He questioned, already shouldering me aside so that he could step inside. I shut the door.

"I'm just fine thank you- What are you doing?" Squid had grabbed my hand and was dragging me down the hall confusedly, as he was blatantly lost.

"CAN'T TALK EXPLAIN LATER NEED ADVICE GUYS ONLY WHERES VEEVA SHE CAN'T BE IN THIS SHE HAS COOTIES." He blurted.

"I-I um, V-Veeva's i-in her Potions Lab- "

"GREAT WE'LL CHAT HERE." He stated, veering into my bedroom. I felt my face redden a shade deeper in color.

' _Guys only? And he led us to my quarters… Is he trying to- '_

His voice snapped me back to reality.

"Target, 'm sorry to drag you to… actually, where are we? It looks like some sort of room…OH! Duh, it's your room. Whoops, sorry to intrude Target! Didn't mean to…there…. I just…and…then I…..." My mind started to wander. I started to daydream about a certain man with a certain sweet voice. We were on a romantic picnic when he suddenly touched my cheek. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around my waist, and then he leaned closer to ki-

 **"TARGET!"**

I coughed, rubbing the back of my neck to hide my embarrassment of…erm… _fantasizing._

"Ahem, yes, Squid?"

"Were you even listening?!"

"Umm, well- "

"Close enough. So here's the deal; I need advice. Erm…Friendship advice."

"Hmm. Alright, what seems to be the problem?"

"Well, hmmm…." His face reddened. "Promise you won't judge?" I nodded.

"I pledge my solemn oath."

"Okay, well, here goes…" He took a deep breath. "WellonedayIwaswalkingwithStampsbecausewehadmadeupafterourfightandthenIsaid 'Heyweshouldrace'andthenhesaid'Okaythatsoundsfun'andsothenweracedbutthenItackledhimtotheground **andthenwekissedalittlebit** andnowit'sreallyAWKWARDBETWEENUSTARGETYOUGOTTAHELPME!"

He dropped like a stone to the ground, gasping.

" _And then we kissed"_

The words played in my brain, unlocking the memory of just a few days ago. I felt my blood boil all over again, the words creating the scene just as vividly as it was in real life, seeing that coward take the last thing I cherished away.

Squid stood up and sighed, a look of embarrassment and shame on his face. I tried to level my anger and comfort him.

"So, why are you telling me all this?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I really want to stay friends with Stamps, but…to do that, we'd have to clear up that whole kissing nonsense…and I'm really not sure about how to do that."

I was torn. I could give him bad advice and coax him to fall into my arms as his new best friend…and after that… _maybe something more…_ and have my revenge on that coward in the same instant. Or, I could give him good advice, and let the coward have another chance at stealing Squid from me. I know what looked like the better option, but the main problem is that giving Squid bad advice and ruining his friendship would put him through emotional heartbreak and despair, not to mention making his job more difficult. I knew what I had to do.

"Squid, if you want to save your friendship with…Stampy…here is exactly what you need to _do…_ "

 **A/N: WHOOP WHOOP! Thought I might as well post a long chapter since I didn't post anything for about three months. I love to think that Target is actually really posh and orderly and his lil' crush on Squidnugget literally screws all of that up. Anyhoos, Thanks to the three people that read this for** _ **actually reading**_ **the crap I write! Finals are comin' up soon for me, so I promise I'll get the next chapter for 1850's AU on my Wattpad out soon if anybody even friggin' reads that. Okay, I'm done with my essay now.**

 **Oscar, out!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Simple Misunderstanding

Stampy's POV~~~~

Squid's been acting very…erm… _strange_ for the past week or so. The first few days, we were both awkward as a result of our kiss, but now it's like he's blowing me off completely. He's late (more so than usual) to recordings, and normally doesn't stick around to chat or even gather materials afterwards. He's constantly rushing off- maybe he found someone more interesting than me? I hope not.

We had just finished another recording, and he was busy packing up to run off.

"Great recordin', Stamps! Sorry, I really gotta run. I'll see you later though, okay Stampy?" He called over his shoulder as he walked away. I pulled him back.

"Actually, do you mind coming over to my house later tonight? I'd love to talk, and you seem like you're constantly in a rush lately." He looked at me with a surprised expression.

"T-tonight? Uh, yeah… yeah! Tonight's great Stamps!" He said, getting enthusiastic at the end. He grinned hugely, and pulled away from my grasp.

"See ya tonight, Mr. Stampylongnose!" He shouted as he half backpedaled/skipped across the remainder of the field, and ran across the bridge to my lighthouse in the distance.

Target's POV~~~~~

I was inside the lighthouse for about twenty minutes and he still hadn't arrived yet.

Can you really blame me for panicking a slight bit?

' _Was he injured during his recording and now he is too wounded to move? Did the Coward find out? Is that what is delaying his arrival? Or worse still, did the Coward find out and decide to take his revenge by hurting him?! DID HE KILL SQUID?!- '_

A door slamming loudly interrupted my painful thoughts. I realized I was pacing and stopped, fearing the worst.

"'EY TARG- " Another loud crash. "'Ey, Target! I'm here! Sorry I'm so late!"

A man with a familiar thick accent apologized as he could be heard clambering his way rambunctiously up the wooden stairs of the Coward's lighthouse. When his face appeared around the corner, I did not hesitate to throw him down upon the ground, attach my fists to the collar of his T-shirt, and shake him up and down vigorously as a slew of various offensive terms escaped from my mouth at a very high volume.

"Jeez," He spoke, looking quite dazed. "Sorry to worry you so much, Target. Recording just went longer than normal today."

I sighed, irritated, and rolled my eyes before helping him up off the ground. I noticed the worried look on his beautiful face.

"Erm, Squid, are you alright? You look troubled."

Squid sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Stamps wants me t' come over t' his house tonight. I'm thinkin' I should talk to 'im then." He sighed again, his earlier enthusiasm depleted. "Do ya think I'm ready for it, Target?"

I looked at my feet. If he talks to the Coward, then there won't be any legitimate reason for us to keep spending so much time with each other. However, I know deep down that helping him do this is the right thing for him. I must shove my inner feelings away so I can best focus on the task at hand. I looked up and smiled warmly at him.

"Of course I think you're ready. Would you like me to help review how you would bring it up?"

Squid nodded vigorously, and we started to practice.

 _ **~Time Skip~**_

 _Stampy's POV:_

' _I wish I had given him a time. Why didn't I give him a time to be here?!'_

I sat on my bed, staring out the large, clear window as I looked for any sign of Squid. The window overlooked a large hill, a little waterfall, and my massive theater- one of my most impressive early accomplishments when I… _renovated_ …this city. For a second, a pang of guilt passed through me for what I had to do to get the deed to it in the first place. I brushed it away.

 _'There's no use crying about it now, Joe. Even if you did apologize…he'll still always hate you for what you've done.'_

My excited manner quickly sobered at that thought. That is, until I saw a muscular, blonde-haired man with his signature red hat saunter down the path. He was just about to knock on my door when he stopped, and turned around to look at something darkened by shadow. My curiosity piqued, I stealthily dropped down from my balcony to get a closer look at what Squid was distracted by. As I crept closer, I heard voices, but they were so quiet I couldn't tell what they were saying. One of them was Squid's- I could pinpoint his thick accent from anywhere, but I'm not sure about the other one- It seems vaguely familiar…

I crept behind a dumpster and looked over to see what it was. Or, more fittingly, _who_ it was. My eyes widened in shock, and I had to stifle a scream. A man at about 5'10 was hugging my best friend. He had dark hair that he kept gelled back, a fancy maroon suit with black dress pants, and a long, dark red cape that draped around his figure, spelling out the letters _**H.T.T.**_

I stood up.

 _Squid's POV:_

Target stiffened.

I pulled back, looking at him with a confused face, only to see his amber eyes filled with rage and hatred.

 _ **"**_ _ **YOU.**_ _ **"**_

I turned in direction he was looking. Stampy stood there, his expression screaming shock and betrayal.

"S-Squid…how c-could you-"

"Stampy…just let me explain, please."

"This exp-plains enough, David."

"Joseph, please, I was trying to help-"

 _ **"HELP?! You were trying to help?!"**_ The rage was clear in his tone. _ **"How could you POSSIBLY BE TRYING TO HELP?! David, that man wants me dead!"**_

Target cut in.

"You deserve to die, It'd be just payment for what you've done to me."

Stampy looked hurt, and I shot wild, confused glances to the both of them. My eyes rested on Stampy, who started to panic.

 _ **"Joseph…What is he talking about…? What did you do?"**_

 _ **A/N: wiggety wowzers that got dark pretty fast**_

 _ **Anyhoos, sorry I've been super-mega-ultra-sucky at updates, I promise I'll try to write more, and another sorry for being a lil turd and leaving it on a cliffhanger like that. Next chapter should be the backstory to this AU, which I've dubbed the Friendly!AU. It'll be more apparent to why it's an AU in the later chapters.**_

 _ **Oscar, out! ~**_


End file.
